WHAT IS A DESCRIPTIVE TEXT?

The purpose of a descriptive essay is also to inform the

reader on a particular topic, event, or experience.
A descriptive text usually describes a single location,
object, event, person, or place. It endeavors to engage all
five of the reader’s senses to evoke the sights, sounds, However, some topics are extremely broad and without
smells, tastes, and feel of the text’s subject. setting out a clear focus for their writing, there is a danger
that students writing can veer off course as they scramble
to share with the reader everything they know about their
As with all writing genres, we can guide our students on
chosen topic.
how to best organize and structure a descriptive text
effectively.
To avoid this, it is essential that students narrow down
which aspects of their selected topic their essay will
In this article, we’ll take a closer look at how to choose a
concern itself with. An effective means of doing this is by
topic for a descriptive text, prepare an outline, and
writing a thesis statement.
ultimately produce a well-written descriptive text.
The thesis statement lays out the specific purpose of the
Let’s get started!
text and usually it is embedded in the introductory
paragraph.

THE STEPS TO WRITING A GREAT DESCRIPTIVE While it can be difficult at times for students to define their
TEXT thesis statement for a descriptive text, the following
STEP #1 SELECT A TOPIC process should help guide students:

Generally, descriptive texts are narrow in focus. This 1. Choose an interesting topic
allows for an in-depth exploration of the subject. If ever 2. Reflect on what you think about this topic
the old adage show, don’t tell applied to a writing genre, 3. Consider the reasons for your point of view
descriptive texts are it. 4. Compose a statement that encapsulates this
viewpoint.
Whether you are choosing a topic for your students, or
they are choosing what to write about themselves, be sure Following the process above will help students to write a
the topic is something that can sustain their interest, as thesis statement that performs the two defining tasks of a
well as the reader’s interest. thesis statement, namely:

Descriptive essays require the writer to go into great i. To define the topic
depth to evoke the person, place, or thing. If the writer
doesn’t care about the topic, then for sure the reader
ii. To state a viewpoint.
won’t either.

While the thesis statement in a descriptive essay is not as

A good starting point for many students is to ask them
central as in, say, a persuasive essay, it still serves the
to write about something that is very personal to them. For
important function of orienting the reader while providing
example, childhood memories, embarrassing moments, or
the writer with a clear focus for their energies.
a favorite holiday make good topics.

As the purpose of a descriptive text is to describe STEP #3 EVOKE THE SUBJECT’S ESSENCE
something so vividly, and to express emotion so clearly, The clue is the title! To evoke the subject in the minds of
that the reader can feel it too, personal topics can provide the readers, your students will need to drill down into the
the perfect material for this type of essay. essence of the thing itself.

It is easier for us to describe those things we have So, how can we convey this essence in the printed word?
intimate knowledge of. This is why memories make such
rich fodder for this type of essay.
We experience the world around us through our senses
and it is through the use of sensory language that our
We can think back to what things looked like, sounded students will evoke the essence of the thing they are
like, smelled like, tasted like, and felt like. We can writing about.
reconjure in our mind’s eye what it was like to experience
that memory at the time, making it easier for us to
recreate it again in the minds of our readers. To help your students do this, have them create a five-
column table on a sheet of paper.
It is worth investing some time to select a suitable topic for
a descriptive text. A well-chosen topic can go a long way Each column will be labelled with the name of one of the
to kick-starting some good writing by your students. five senses: sight, sound, smell, taste, touch. Students will
then brainstorm the various feelings and sensations they
associate with their essay’s topic, and they’ll then list their
TEP #2 WRITE A THESIS STATEMENT ideas in the appropriate column on the sheet of paper.
While, for the most part, descriptive texts are nonfiction Writing is as much art as it is science. Having a clear,
texts, there is still plenty of room here for students to disciplined structure in place from the previous steps will
exercise their creative faculties. allow students the freedom to take chances and get
creative in their writing.
Encourage students to employ literary devices such as
simile, metaphor, and personification to bring their Sometimes students at this stage find it difficult to let go in
sensory descriptions to life. This can also be a great their writing. They want things to be perfect the first time
opportunity to reinforce student understanding of the round.
various literary devices themselves.
Remind them that they shouldn’t be afraid to write less
You can also encourage students to use a thesaurus to than perfect sentences in their first drafts. Getting their
uncover suitable and interesting adjectives to help them ideas on paper is the most important thing at this stage.
evoke the essence of the thing itself. They can always edit and rewrite later.

Not only will this help them to produce a well-written It’s important that students understand that good
descriptive text, but it will give them the opportunity to descriptive writing is not only filled with physical details,
enhance their vocabulary as they work. but includes emotional content too. Encourage your
students to include the emotional significance of
As students fill out the various details they have selected, memories and events, people and places, too. This brings
remind students it’s important to always refer back to their meaning to a text.
thesis statement.
While they do this, remind them again that it is important
Remember, every point a student makes in their essay to show rather than tell.
should be in support of their thesis statement.
For example, rather than say The man was old, say
something along the lines of, The man’s face was
STEP #4 CREATE AN OUTLINE wrinkled with age.
Now that your students have selected an engaging topic,
produced a solid thesis statement, and gathered together While the first sentence makes a statement about the
lots of relevant sensory detail, they’ll need to create a man’s age that tells the reader their age, the
clear outline to organize and inform the writing process. second shows the effect of age on the man’s looks.

As with many types of essays, the standard five- Good descriptive writing needs to be specific, evocative,
paragraph essay structure will serve well here. This and believable.
structure works as follows:
Encourage students to be specific in the details they
Paragraph 1: The opening paragraph introduces the main choose to share with the reader. The more specific they
topic viewpoint of the essay. This will usually include a are, the easier it will be for the reader to see things in their
thesis statement. mind’s eye.

Paragraphs 2,3, & 4: These are considered the body To write evocatively, students will need to add some
paragraphs of the essay, with each paragraph exploring personal input into their writing. They must choose their
one of the supporting arguments that prove the thesis language carefully to evoke a response in the reader. This
statement. More body paragraphs may be added as is achieved by considering carefully the impression the
needed. word choice and sentence order creates, as well as how
they frame the subject in their writing.
Paragraph 5: The purpose of the conclusion paragraph is
to restate the thesis statement, summarize the various To ensure that writing is believable, students should be
points made in the essay itself, and to leave the reader careful not to exaggerate or let their imagination run away
with something to think about. with itself! While descriptive writing employs literary
devices and draws on a writer’s creativity, it is not the
This standard format provides a helpful template for place for fantastical hyperbole or over-flowery writing.
students to outline their descriptive text before writing. It
will help ensure their writing stays focused and moves By bringing discipline to bear on the creative process,
forward in a coherent manner. students will avoid their writing degenerating into mere
word vomit.
STEP #5 WRITE, WRITE, WRITE!
By this stage, students have laid more than enough STEP #6 REDRAFT, EDIT, PROOFREAD
groundwork to get started writing in earnest. For many students, this step is their least favorite. After
reaching the required word count, many students are
While they should refer closely to the prep work they have halfway out the door before the clack of the last keypress
done already, students should also be encouraged to let has died away.
things flow too.
But, this stage is crucial if students are to satisfactorily
produce well-written descriptive essays. Encourage
students to maintain focus as they redraft, edit, and This can all be very daunting for some students,
proofread their writing. especially those who find writing difficult at the best of
times.
Reviewing a finished draft is best done with the
perspective of a little time. Where possible, encourage The most effective way to encourage reluctant students to
students to let a draft marinate overnight before tackling it. unleash the power of their imagination via the written
Masterpieces aren’t born fully formed into the world. They word, is to provide them with a clear structure on which
are moulded and crafted over time. they can hang their words. The steps outlined above will
provide this structure for your students.
Where the student doesn’t have the luxury of leaving the
piece overnight, perhaps they can go for a walk, or work But, as well as ensuring students have ample practice
on another task for a while, before returning to edit the opportunities to write, be sure too that students have the
piece. Any type of break away from the text will bring opportunity to read well-written descriptive texts written by
some freshness to their perspective. skilful writers, whether in the form of poetry, essays, or
novels.
When students are ready to review their work, instruct
them that it is good policy to take a minimum of three run-
throughs to ensure they catch everything that needs
catching!

On the first run-through, students should look at structural

issues to ensure the descriptive text is well-organized. For
example:

 Does it follow the standard five paragraph

structure as outlined above?
 Does it contain a thesis statement?
 Is the thesis statement supported by each of the
body paragraphs?
 Does the conclusion restate the thesis,
summarize the main points, and leave the reader
with something to think about?

On the second run-through, students should examine the

sentences that comprise the paragraphs, asking
questions such as:

 Do they follow a clear and coherent order?

 Are they well-constructed and grammatically
correct?
 Are the length of the sentences varied?
 Are the sentence structures varied?

On the third and final run-through, students should check

word choice, spelling, and punctuation. They can do this
by asking question such as:

 Have any words been overused?

 Have redundant words been removed?
 Is the copy free from spelling errors?
 Has the correct punctuation been used
throughout?

One good way for students to check their own work is to

read it aloud. This helps slow things down, making it more
likely that they’ll catch smaller mistakes they may
otherwise miss.

In Conclusion

Writing descriptive texts gives students an opportunity to

flex their creative muscles. It challenges them to find new
and innovative ways to use language to paint pictures in
the minds of readers.